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WILLIAM C. LAWRENCE


The writer knows thousands of individual Negroes, representing all the professions and every honorable line of work. He knows no professional or business group which averages higher in race loyalty, intelligence, business integrity and those qualities which go to make good citizens than the colored physicians. One of these, who has worked out a large measure of success is Dr. William Collins Lawrence, of Montgomery, W. Va.

Dr. Lawrence is a native of the sister State of Alabama, where he was born on July 2, 1873. His father, the late Thomas Lawrence, was a farmer, and the boy grew up on the farm and divided his time between work in the field and the short term public school, where he pursued his elementary studies. His mother's name was Elizabeth.

Dr. Lawrence married on September 14, 1907, Miss Mattie Price, an accomplished teacher. They have one child, Paul Dunbar Lawrence.

Our subject passed from the public school to Atlanta Baptist, now Morehouse College, where he spent four years. When ready for his medical course, he matriculated at Leonard Medical College, Raleigh, N. C., Where he won his M.D. degree in 1901. After passing the public schools it was necessary for young Lawrence to make his own way. He taught school for five years. Rather early in life there developed in him a desire to be and do something more than the average fellow, and later when he determined to take up medicine, he had his profession before him as a constant incentive. Him as a constant incentive. After his graduation he continued to work for awhile, in order that he might establish himself without embarrassment, and before entering upon the practice did special post graduate work at Long Island College. In 1906 he located at Charleston, where he practiced for one year. The following year he went to Montgomery, where he has since resided and built up an extensive general practice. He has also run a drug store at Montgomery.

In politics he is a Republican and has more than once been made the standard bearer as nominee of his party in local elections. He belongs to the Baptist Church, in which he is a trustee. He is a member of the Masons, Elks, Pythians, Red Men and Gallilean Fishermen, being examiner for the latter and for the Masons. He is also medical examiner for the National Benefit Insurance Company. He belongs to both the State and National Medical Societies, and has been president of the State organization. His favorite reading is history. During the war he was a member of the local committee, Council of Defense. His property interests are in New York and West Virginia. He believes the next forward step of the race is to be along industrial lines.


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